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restrain

[/rɪˈstreɪn/]
verb
conter
1. to prevent someone from doing something or to hold someone back
The police had to restrain the angry crowd.
A polícia teve que conter a multidão furiosa.
2. to control or limit something
She tried to restrain her spending.
Ela tentou conter seus gastos.
3. to keep someone under control using physical force
They had to restrain the patient with straps.
Tiveram que prender o paciente com correias.
4. to hold back emotions or impulses
He could barely restrain his laughter.
Ele mal conseguia conter o riso.
Synonyms
hold backcontrollimitrestrictsuppresscurb
Antonyms
releasefreeencouragepermitallow

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
conter
most common usage
Brazil
refrear
less common, more formal
Portugal
conter
standard usage, same as Brazilian
Portugal
reter
alternative, slightly more formal

Related Idioms & Phrases

restrain oneself
restrain from doing something
show restraint
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